A Jynx'd Life
by aplethoraofwords
Summary: Jade Wood was a mountain, grounded and unmoving; Jynx Valiant was rain, refreshing and fleeting. They were as different as night and day, but love can grow in the most unexpected places. [OC/OC]


**Disclaimer: I lay no claims on the Wizarding World-I merely wanted to explore it a little more.**

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**Chapter 1: Jade and Jynx, how it all began**

"Perfect day for Quidditch, eh, mate?" Jynx Valiant, fifth year and new Ravenclaw Quidditch captain loved Quidditch more than air. Women were a close second. The fair haired young man took a deep breath of the warm, late summer air laden with the scent of fresh cut grass and honeysuckle before turning to his friend, slumped over on the bench.

Conner groaned and rubbed his finger tips to his temple, looking worse for wear. "Will you keep it down?" he hissed vehemently, rubbing his pale face with his hand. "I've got the worst hangover." Jynx only laughed, causing his friend to wince, before clapping him on the shoulder.

"I told you that you shouldn't have stayed out so late with the twins," the flaxen haired boy teased before ruffling his friend's short brown hair. Conner shoved his hand away, scowling deeply as he did so.

"Don't be such a wanker, mate," his friend grumbled as he struggled to his feet. Jynx only laughed again as he grabbed his broom off one of the benches. He and Conner had decided to occupy the stands in order to get a better view of the victims-er, candidates.

Conner pointed out a tall overconfident looking young man and muttered, "That one's all talk, I bet." He then pointed to a smaller young man who looked pale but determined. "That one's a chaser." His finger moved to point at another student, landing on a girl of small stature, curly hair tied up with a blue ribbon. Her blue eyes stood out against her pale face, lips pursed as she eyed her competition. "That one is…huh. That one shouldn't be here. She'll get hurt."

Laughter bubbled from Jynx' chest as he leaned against the bannister, examining the little girl—he didn't really expect much from her, but he couldn't help but admire the way she held herself proudly. "Not to worry mate, we'll weed out the weaklings in time." The young man placed a whistle between his lips and blew out a long, shrill sound that caused the murmurings of the crowd to fall away.

When he was certain that he had their attention he stood upright and fixed them with a fierce stare. "My name is Jynx Valiant and I am the captain; as the captain I expect my team to be the best. If you're not confident that you're the best you may leave now." He paused for a moment, waiting for anybody to take their leave, but none slipped away though they squirmed beneath his scrutinizing gaze.

After a few moments he spoke again. "After I blow the whistle, I want you all to mount your brooms and fly as quick as possible." He brought his whistle to his lips and watched as the crowed shuffled to prepare their brooms for flight. When he blew out a long shrill note, a blur of black shot up into the air before any of the others could even kick off the ground.

Jynx' eyebrows raised as the small girl that Conner had pointed to regarded him with inquisitive blue eyes the colour of a clear summer day. He grinned charmingly and ruffled his already mussed golden hair. He leaned against the stand, looking up at the girl flying just a little above him. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Jade Wood," came her simple reply. No smile, no stammering. She sat astride her broom, back straight, chin tilted up, looking every bit as proud and graceful as a queen. Jynx examined her again; she certainly was the tiniest of the group, but she was obviously the fastest—the others were just getting to floating up around her.

"Well, Jade Wood, what position are you trying out for?" At his question, the corners of her lips twitched and quirked into a smile. Jynx caught his breath for a moment, she looked a little ethereal as the sun shined down on her curls, lighting her eyes up like gems.

"Seeker," she responded quietly, speaking the word reverently. Jynx could see that she loved Quidditch, maybe as much as he did. The young man grinned and nodded approvingly.

"Let's see how fast you can fly, then." He kicked the wooden Quidditch crate sitting just by the bench and it immediately opened. The two Bludgers began to shake in their confines as he went to fetch the Golden Snitch from a hidden compartment. "Listen up! Those who are trying for Seeker, I will release the Snitch. After I count to ten, chase it—the first to catch it wins the position. Cheating will not be tolerated!" He regarded the crowd of anxious students with a grin; Wood didn't seem amused. "Good, you all understand. If you are trying for another position return to the ground." A majority of the crowd fell away until only five people sat on their brooms in front of him. Jynx eyed each of them, they all had a Seeker's build, but Wood seemed to be the only one who was confident.

He released the Snitch and watched as it flitted away, disappearing almost instantly before beginning to count down from ten. "One! Go!" Four of the five jetted away, flying in circles, looking for the Snitch, a tiny glimmer—anything. Jade stayed still, brows furrowed as her eyes roamed the field and Jynx was about to tease her about her lack of action when she pulled her broom up into a sharp incline, looking more like a blur than a girl. The Snitch glimmered in the distance and, as if noticing Jade's increasing proximity, flitted away.

Wood was not to be deterred; she followed, leaning closer to her broom to get more acceleration, almost matching the Snitch's infamous speeds. "Merlin, she's a reckless flier!" laughed Jynx as he shaded his eyes with a hand. It seemed that he wasn't the only one to notice the chase—Conner was watching, along with the candidates dallying on the ground.

The other Seeker candidates also noticed and took chase, but it became evident that they were no match for Jade Wood. Suddenly, the Snitch took a dive so violent that most of the candidates struggled to even stop their brooms, but Wood just pushed her broom down and followed, her hair whipping behind her in wild tendrils. Jynx thought that she looked like an angry deity with the way her hair was moving and the determined look on her face.

And then it was over. He hadn't even seen her reach for it, but suddenly the chase was done and she clasped the Snitch in her hand. She languidly flew back to Jynx and held out the tiny ball, wild curls framing her face unchecked, pale cheeks flushed with the chase. This is what a Seeker was supposed to look like, Jynx thought, delighted as he took the Snitch from her while smiling brightly. He carelessly tossed the gold ball into the crate and held out a hand for Jade. "Welcome to the team, Jade Wood." She reached out and clasped his hands in hers—Merlin, her hand was small!

She smiled slightly and murmured, "Glad to be on the team…Captain." Jynx decided that he liked hearing her say that.


End file.
